Goal setting can help you focus on the things that are most important to you
Living with a lifelong condition like beta thalassaemia can sometimes feel overwhelming1. It takes strength to face the challenges and keep persevering, especially when dealing with symptoms or managing the care and treatment you need.
Gaia, living with beta thalassaemia major in Italy
It can be hard to find a balance between trying to enjoy life and accepting the challenges of living with beta thalassaemia. Goal setting can be a good way of taking back control, so that your life isn’t dictated by the limits of your symptoms and medical care, but by goals that you set yourself. Goal setting simply means setting out what you want to achieve – your targets – and keeping track of your progress toward it.
To balance the things that are important to you with managing beta thalassaemia, you may find it helps to make goals that have meaning for you and to develop a plan for how you want to achieve them. Taking small steps towards these targets every day can help you feel like you’re making progress and finding your own path.
Of course, planning for the future can be hard when you have beta thalassaemia. Try thinking about goal setting as making changes today that could benefit you in the future.
Setting goals that work for you
You can set goals for any part of your life – not just for managing your beta thalassaemia. This might be to do with your diet, getting active, a hobby or even a goal at work or school.
The goals you choose are up to you but keep talking about them with your healthcare team to make sure they don’t disrupt your treatment plan.
Kostas, living with beta thalassaemia major in Germany
Setting achievable goals
We’ve all probably tried to set goals at some point in our lives but it can be difficult to achieve them! You may feel things are difficult on your journey managing your life with beta thalassaemia. But there is a way to make it easier for yourself.
Setting goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant to what you want to achieve in a set amount of time (also known as SMART goals) gives you the best chance of achieving what you
Specific
Means being clear about what you want to achieve
I want to socialise more
Measurable
The goal and the steps toward it should be measurable, what and for how long
I want to socialise more
Achievable
Your goal must be realistic to achieve within a certain timeframe
I want to see my friends every day for three hours
Relevant
The goal should be relevant to what you want to achieve in the long-term
I want to socialise more, so I want to walk three times a week for 20 minutes.
Timed
Means setting yourself a deadline for when you would like to achieve the goal
At some point, I want to see my friends more
It’s important to review your goals yourself and with your healthcare team often. As you manage your life with beta thalassaemia you may find the things you want change along the way and your goals need to change accordingly.
Keep talking to your healthcare team about what goals are important to you – they can offer the support you may need to achieve them.
Setting goals can really help you to balance the things that are important to you with managing your life with beta thalassaemia. It’s in your ability to live your life the way you want.
You might like to share your ideas with the people around you so they can celebrate your successes with you. Whether it’s your healthcare team or a loved one, talking to others about your goals can help motivate you. It also gives you a chance to ask for any support you might need to achieve them.
You can also use our community area to find local beta thalassaemia groups for more support with setting and sticking to your goals.
Tips and tricks for setting goals
- Keep your targets achievable, especially at first
- Write down your goals and steps along the way, so you can tick them off
- Use the knowledge of your healthcare team to your advantage – talk to them about the goals you want to set and how you can achieve them
- Try to avoid making your goal too dependent on things outside your control (e.g., weather)
- Share your goals and progress with your healthcare team and loved ones – they can help support you
- Build in little rewards for when you have taken a step toward your goal (e.g., playing your favourite song)
For more information, you might like to browse our Resource Hub.
Resource Hub
Our downloadable tools and guides will help you manage your life with beta thalassaemia
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